The number of coronavirus patients continues to rise in Bangladesh with the World Health Organisation asking countries to take “a stronger whole of society and whole of government effort” to avert further loss of lives and other resources. Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Friday confirmed five new cases of coronavirus, taking the number of total of COVID-19 patients to 61 in Bangladesh.
Nobody died in the last 24 hours, he said at the 12 pm online briefing. Bangladesh so far registered six deaths from the pandemic. Twenty-six patients made complete recovery from the virus that killed over 50,000 people and affected over a million in the world. Geographically distribution shows that most of the patients are from Dhaka city followed by Madaripur, Narayanaganj and Gaibandha, according to the IEDCR information analysed by Bangladesh Post.
The minister, however, did not give any further details of the newly infected patients. The government earlier suggested limited community level transmission is happening in Bangladesh and asked people to stay at home as the government is enforcing social distancing by closing everything from offices to educational institutions.
Amidst rapid spread of the virus and continuing challenges, the WHO’s South East Asia region of which Bangladesh is a member, issued a statement on Friday for stronger measures to prevent a long-haul with the pandemic and avert further loss of precious human and other resources.
“A more comprehensive approach is needed with communities at the center of our response. Most importantly, communities need to be engaged and empowered to take appropriate decisions and measures,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said in the statement.
“The onus must be on each one. At this stage, everyone needs to contribute to minimize health as well as socio-economic impact of the pandemic,” she said. The health minister urged everyone to stay indoors and comply with the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He said more tests are necessary to keep the spread under control. “It’s very important to test everyone with symptoms to detect coronavirus infection. I urge everyone to come forward and get tested. It’ll protect you as well as your family," he said.
He said they had collected 513 samples in the last 24 hoursFive hundred and thirteen samples were collected from across the country in the last 24 hours. Contact tracing is still ongoing of the five new patients as no information was available about the sources of their infection.
He also assured of having adequate stock of PPE and test-kits Director General for Health Service Prof Abul Kalam Azad who conducted the press briefing said they had found three of the five new patients outside of the IEDCR Lab. “We’re arranging their isolation and have started investigating their sources of infection,” he said.
Virtual meeting of health ministers
In the past 24 hours, 547 more people have been sent to home quarantine while five are being institutionally quarantined in Bangladesh. Currently, 16,453 people are in quarantine across the country while 82 in isolation. The director general for health said that 10 people have been released from isolation in the past 24 hours and 14 others sent to isolation throughout the country.
The WHO regional director said she held a virtual meeting with health ministers of the Region to review the challenges. “Most countries highlighted the need for essential medical equipment, testing kits, personal protective equipment for health workers and enhancing health systems capacities, specially to respond to community transmission,” she said.
The Regional Director said WHO will continue to work with the Pandemic Supply Chain Network to ensure all at-risk and critically affected countries are supported. “These shortages are a global problem, and one that will have a significant impact on the response. If we cannot protect health workers, and are unable to adequately test, we will be fighting with one arm tied,” she said.
Nearly 1.5 billion people - in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand together - are currently experiencing lockdowns. “Supported by communities, we should start to see impact of these measures in the coming weeks. Simultaneously, this is also an opportunity for countries to enhance capacities of their health systems,” the WHO regional director said.
“As physical distancing measures take effect and capacities are built, whatever the transmission scenario, with the right approach the virus can be contained. In areas where community transmission occurs, it can be suppressed and controlled,” she said.
“Every case, cluster and evidence of community transmission would need to be aggressively responded to. Basic public health measures such as active case detection, isolation, testing, treatment and contact tracing are among our most powerful tools. “A strong surveillance is needed to assess and guide evidence based measures,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.
